Basically Los Tuxtlas are private property. Even the vaunted Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve is mostly private
property. And basically any tree worth harvesting, within reach of a road, was long ago chopped down.
Yet there is still substantial jungle, rain forest and tropical woods in Los Tuxtlas. The almost inaccessible
heart of the Sierra Santa Marta is still heavily forested and so are the upper reaches of Volcano San
Martin Tuxtla.
You just cannot get there from here.
Access to Volcano Santa Martin Tuxtla is best through a road past Santiago Tuxtla, and then uphill on a
dirt track to Xogapan, then with permission of local ranch owners a trail leads up the volcano.
Santa Marta is reachable from the village of Santa Martha above Soteapan, 3 hours from Catemaco.
Unfortunately the villagers do not welcome hikers, but make room for men on horseback with 4 foot chain
saws.
A road previously leading from that village to Laguna Catemaco is now officially blocked by the
Biosphere Reserve management. Limited 4x4 access is still possible when entering a trail above Miguel
Hidalgo towards El Bastonal.
For the quick tourist, a visit to Nanciyaga or La Jungla will give that jungle feeling, although both areas are
former cow pastures permitted to regenerate a long time ago. The Biology Station on the road to Montepio
still has a patch of original forest, and a trek to some of the mountain villages like Miguel Hidalgo, or Ruiz
Cortines will produce guided tours through their remaining patches of tropical forest.
With some areas receiving more than 16 feet of rain per year, it is almost impossible not to pass through
lush tropical foliage anywhere in Los Tuxtlas.
Link:
Tuxtlas rain forest - soon
property. And basically any tree worth harvesting, within reach of a road, was long ago chopped down.
Yet there is still substantial jungle, rain forest and tropical woods in Los Tuxtlas. The almost inaccessible
heart of the Sierra Santa Marta is still heavily forested and so are the upper reaches of Volcano San
Martin Tuxtla.
You just cannot get there from here.
Access to Volcano Santa Martin Tuxtla is best through a road past Santiago Tuxtla, and then uphill on a
dirt track to Xogapan, then with permission of local ranch owners a trail leads up the volcano.
Santa Marta is reachable from the village of Santa Martha above Soteapan, 3 hours from Catemaco.
Unfortunately the villagers do not welcome hikers, but make room for men on horseback with 4 foot chain
saws.
A road previously leading from that village to Laguna Catemaco is now officially blocked by the
Biosphere Reserve management. Limited 4x4 access is still possible when entering a trail above Miguel
Hidalgo towards El Bastonal.
For the quick tourist, a visit to Nanciyaga or La Jungla will give that jungle feeling, although both areas are
former cow pastures permitted to regenerate a long time ago. The Biology Station on the road to Montepio
still has a patch of original forest, and a trek to some of the mountain villages like Miguel Hidalgo, or Ruiz
Cortines will produce guided tours through their remaining patches of tropical forest.
With some areas receiving more than 16 feet of rain per year, it is almost impossible not to pass through
lush tropical foliage anywhere in Los Tuxtlas.
Link:
Tuxtlas rain forest - soon
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The jungle, the rain forest, the tropical woods
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